sunrise celebration

The keynote speaker was Daina Ramey Berry, associate professor of history and African and African diaspora studies at the University of Texas at Austin and author of The Price for Their Pound of Flesh (2017), a history of the economic value of slaves from birth to death. “Slavery does not stop people from fighting for … Continue reading “Freedom Ain’t Never Been Free!”→

Since her days at Howard University in Washington, D.C., Berry has been a prominent activist on issues related to civil rights, gender equality, and social justice. She began her talk recalling how both King’s life and death has influenced her activism. She was studying law at the University of Michigan at the time King was … Continue reading Practicing Activism Every Day→

Kiwi librarians are being asked to do more to make homeless people feel welcome. The call went out September 24–27 at the Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa conference in Christchurch, where a book club for the homeless hosted at the Auckland library has been held up as an example of what others should be doing. LIANZA President Louise LaHatte would like to see libraries around the country follow Auckland’s lead.

As we mark 2017’s National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, September 24–30, libraries across the country are transforming lives through literacy services for adults and families. The correlation between literacy and income inequality, health outcomes, and rates of incarceration underscores how literacy intersects with equity, access, and inclusion. Libraries are helping to address such disparities in equity, access, and outcomes through their adult and family literacy services.

ACRL has released Academic Library Impact: Improving Practice and Essential Areas to Research. Developed for ACRL by OCLC Research, this valuable resource investigates how libraries can increase student learning and success and effectively communicate their value to higher education stakeholders. The full report is freely available for download on the ACRL website. The document recommends where more research is needed in areas critical to the higher education sector such as accreditation and academic achievement.

Edited by Susanne Caro,Government Information Essentials, published by ALA Editions, gathers the expertise of experienced government information librarians from across the country to provide real-world insight into the work, collections, and interests of this discipline. The book discusses what it’s like to be a government documents librarian, from the first day on the job through taking on a management role.

Cara Giaimo writes: “In June 1944, American troops prepared to storm the beaches of Normandy. As they lined up to board the invasion barges, each was issued something less practical than a weapon, but equally precious: a slim, postcard-sized, softcover book. These were Armed Services Editions—paperbacks specifically designed to fit in a soldier’s pockets and travel with them wherever they went. Between 1943 and 1947, the US military sent 123 million copies of over 1,000 titles to troops serving overseas.”

The National Book Foundation announced September 21 that it will award Annie Proulx with its 2017 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Proulx, author of many novels and short stories, including The Shipping News, Postcards, and “Brokeback Mountain,” is being honored for her exceptional work and significant impact on American literature. The award will be presented to Proulx by Academy Award-winning actress Anne Hathaway, who starred in the film Brokeback Mountain.

Maren Williams writes: “Every year, the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom receives reports of book challenges from around the country—that is, a request from an individual or group for a book to be restricted or removed from a library or classroom. Over the years OIF has tracked the reasons cited for these challenges, and designer Tim Leong distilled the data regarding comics and graphic novels into this infographic. Read on for more information on each of the categories and challenged books.”